On January 27, 2023, at approximately 1:45 in the afternoon, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department received a call from employees at First Source Bank in LaPaz in reference to a male subject in the bank trying to cash a fraudulent check.
After the dispatch center made county police units aware of the call, the Bremen Police Department advised they were looking for the same male subject who was successful in cashing a fraudulent check at their First Source Bank in Bremen earlier in the day.
The subject in question was described as a black male wearing blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and a black vest. While en route to LaPaz, employees at the bank advised the male subject left the bank on foot and was traveling north. They then said he may have gotten into a silver Chrysler-300 passenger car.
During the investigation and to positively identify the suspect in this case, a booking photo was requested from Allen County. It confirmed the identity of the suspect in the bank fraud as John E. McCloud. A case report was completed and forwarded to the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office for review. An arrest warrant was then obtained for John E. McCloud. The warrant was issued for Counterfeiting/Forgery, a Level 6 Felony with a cash bond of $10,000. McCloud was arrested in Allen County and transported to Marshall. He was booked in on Monday, March 27th at 12:08 pm.
Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed and that there is only probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. They are presumed innocent throughout the proceedings and are entitled to be represented by counsel and entitled to a trial by jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.
